The 2013 edition of the IAAPA Attractions Expo kicked off Tuesday at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The convention features over 1,100 exhibitors showcasing new ride concepts, food, technologies, and additional products in over 135 different product categories.

The trade show covers over 522,000 square feet of exhibit space, the equivalent of 13 football fields. Of the 1,100 exhibitors, over 110 of them are new to the show.

One of the shows largest exhibitors, Len Soled's Rides 4-U started the show with a bang. Within the first two hours of the shows opening, two of the rides on display had been sold. A new ride on display from SBF/Visa, one of the companies represented by Rides 4-U, is the Compact Spinning Coaster. The coaster features a figure eight track design, with a footprint of 72' wide x 35' deep and 14' tall. The ride seats four passengers back to back in each of its four free spinning ride vehicles, making one coaster train capable of riding 16 passengers. The coaster's main drive consists of eight independently operating motors to drive the train up the first hill and gravity propels it the rest of the way.

The coaster on display is a park model; however, a portable model is available. Rides 4-U Comptroller Rich Madden said "we hope to fit everything on one 53ft trailer".

Much attention was given to the new piece, resulting in three being sold before the days end. Daytona Lagoon in Daytona purchased the display model; Silverwood Theme Park ordered another park model; and Steve Swika of S&S Amusements purchased the first portable version. Several other show owners were interested in the piece, but are waiting to see how it racks for transport before making a commitment.

Another ride on display at the Rides 4-U Booth was the Drop N' Twist, by SBF/Visa. The Drop N' Twist is a drop tower with a rotating gondola that is available in multiple heights and can be built as a park or portable model. The Drop N' Twist on display was sold to Main Street Amusements, the owner of a minor league baseball team in Davenport, Iowa. The company began installing amusement rides at its facilities last spring.

S&S International, another manufacturer represented by Rides 4-U, had a portable version of their popular kiddy tower ride on display, the Frog Hopper. The Frog Hopper has received positive reviews and Rides 4-U recently sold portable models to Alpine Amusements of Chicago and Tom & Deb Murray's Murray Brothers Inc., based out of Cincinnati. The ride on display at IAAPA has been purchased by Bill & Mary Johnson's Fantasy Amusements, another Chicago based carnival.

Across the aisle was KMG, also represented by Rides 4-U. KMG salesman Peter Theunisz reported that there was a lot of interest in the company's rides from both the park and carnival side of the industry and the company reserved two production spots for October of 2014 for IAAPA orders. Rides soon to be delivered include a Freak Out for Alpine Amusements, which is set to be delivered at the end of November; a Freak Out for both All Around Amusements and Butler Amusements in February; and a Speed for Martin's Fantasy Island in April.

Butler & All Around's Freak Outs are scheduled to be on display at the IISF Trade Show in Gibsonton this February. "Both Freak Outs will be displayed side by side. We will set up All Around's Freak Out and Butler's will be on display racked", stated Theunisz.

Other recent purchases include a XXL to the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) in British Columbia, slated for an Easter 2015 opening. The new XXL will replace the park's Huss Frisbee, which Theunisz is selling through his company, UsedRidesEurope.com.

When asked about new concepts for KMG, Theunisz said that the company has been so busy fulfilling orders that it has not had much time to design and produce new attractions, however, the company has two or three concepts in the works. "To build a new ride, we need at least one year to engineer it and another six months to build the prototype. If we were to build a new attraction, the earliest delivery date would be 2016", saidTheunisz. "Typically, new concepts are purchased by European showman looking for their next showpiece, while US customers typically look for rides that are easy to move and have proven themselves" he added.

On the merchandise side of the business, Liberty-Ivoke had its new Switch Case Production Package on display. Switch Case is a product that can widely be used by parks, kiosks, concessionaires, and events to make personalized cell phone and tablet cases using a customer's personal photo collection or photos taken on site. Customers can choose photos from their tablet or phone to be printed on a cell phone case and have it made while they wait. Switch Case is a self contained unit which prints images onto decal paper. The decal is then chemically bonded onto a piece of specially treated aluminum and then inserted into the interchangeable case.

From start to finish, the whole process takes less than five minutes. The images are built to last and reportedly will not scratch or wear like their plastic counterparts. Cell phone cases usually retail for $34.99 and include the case and three image inserts. The Cost on each case is less than $9.

Liberty has received a lot of attention at the IAAPA show and has a show special available. The show special includes a printer, heat press, sublimation paper, ink, power driver, and a heat tape dispenser for only $1500. The company currently stocks cases for Samsung and Apple products.

Wednesday night, the Carnival & Showmen's reception will be held between 6-7pm at the Orange County Convention Center in Room: S230FGH. Cost for IAAPA, SLA, and OABA members is $15 and includes appetizers, beer, wine, and soda.

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